Baseball advances to Championship Game
Box Score
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- When Miles scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a commanding seven-run lead over Kentucky State, there seemed to be little question that the Golden Bears would appear in the 2017 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Championships title game.
But the Thorobreds (16-33), who have arguably been the Miles' toughest conference opponent this season, mounted a ninth inning comeback that put what was once a sure thing a bit more in doubt. Still, thanks to an explosive offensive start and strong pitching into the final inning by starter
Austin Pate, the Golden Bears did, in fact, put themselves in a position to win the SIAC title with a 12-9 win over KSU Saturday night at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
Miles (30-19) will take on the winner of the LeMoyne-Owen-Kentucky State game at 2 p.m. with two chances to win the conference title and a berth in the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament.
Reeves Brashear hit a home run,
Xavius Burden,
Darione Adkison and
Trevor Bates each had three hits and Pate (9-1) - who pitched well but ran out of gas in the ninth - did enough to earn the win and leave the Golden Bears with an embarrassment of pitching riches heading into Championship Sunday.
The Golden Bears have not trailed for even a half-inning in the tournament and continued that by jumping on KSU starter Joshua Owsley in the first.
Ryan Bargery singled and stole second with one out and Burden brought him home with a single to give Miles a 1-0 advantage.
In the second, Miles went to work after the first two batters were retired.
Damion Williams laced a double just inside the third base line and came in to score on a
Justin Bisharat single. A perfect bunt up the third base line by Bates set the stage for Brashear, who hit a moonshot over the wall in left for a three-run homer and a 5-0 Miles advantage. Owsley did not make it out of the third after
Kolby Brannon's sacrifice fly and a two-run double by Bisharat pushed the Golden Bears lead to 8-0.
Pate did not give up any runs until he allowed three in the fourth. While KSU continued to add runs against the Golden Bears ace, the offense would continue to respond in kind. In the eighth, Adkison's RBI double scored pinch runner
Brandon Conner and he came around on a RBI single by Brannon for a 12-5 lead.
In the ninth, Pate was looking to finish what he started but the Thorobreds began to mount a comeback as the elevated pitch count began to wear down Miles' starter.
Matthew White, who is the only Miles pitcher to make multiple appearances in the tournament, got the final three outs - the last when he caught Brandon Kelley looking at a fastball - and set off a jubilant reaction from the Golden Bears dugout as they secured their spot in the championship round.
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